Literature for Children : A Short Introduction

by Russell, David L.

• ISBN13: 9780205591930
• ISBN10: 0205591930
• Edition: 6th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-01-01
• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon

Summary

This succinct yet comprehensive introduction to children's literature focuses on genres and concepts rather than on particular authors. This completely updated edition provides a clear, literary perspective for understanding the foundations and contexts of literature, including the various genres of children's literature, from picture to informational books. The Sixth Edition continues to be approachable and inviting with its clear and logical organization and its simple and direct prose. Arguing that teachers need to love literature, appreciate its beauty, explore its complexity, and enjoy its magic, the Sixth Edition stresses the need for teachers to first appreciate literature in order to later use it in the classroom. Well known for its booklists, this book focuses on the traditional genres of children's literature, and the discussions within the chapters are organized according to themes.

Author Biography

David L. Russell is a professor of languages and literature in Michigan where he teaches children's literature and folk literature.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Sixth Edition	p. xvii
About the Author	p. xix
The Contexts of Childrenrsquo;s Literature	p. 1
The History of Childrenrsquo;s Literature	p. 3
The Beginnings	p. 3
The Classical World	p. 3
The Middle Ages	p. 4
The Renaissance	p. 5
The Seventeenth Century	p. 6
Puritanism	p. 6
John Locke and Educational Philosophy	p. 9
The Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries	p. 9
Books for Childrenndash;at Last	p. 9
Rousseau and the Moral Tale	p. 11
The Rise of the Folktales	p. 11
The Victorians: The Golden Age	p. 12
British Childrenrsquo;s Literature	p. 14
Adventure or Boysrsquo; Stories	p. 14
Fantasy Stories	p. 14
Realistic Stories	p. 15
The United States	p. 16
Adventure or Boysrsquo; Stories	p. 16
Domestic or Girlsrsquo; Stories	p. 16
Fantasy Stories	p. 17
Childrenrsquo;s Book Illustration in the Golden Age	p. 17
Popular Literaturendash;Great Britain and America	p. 20
Between the Wars: 1920-1940	p. 20
From World War II to the Present	p. 21
Childrenrsquo;s Literature from Around the World	p. 23
Summary	p. 24
Classroom Activities	p. 25
Recommended Readings	p. 26
Selected Bibliography of Retelling for Childrenrsquo;s Tales from the Ancient World	p. 27
Tales from the Middle Ages	p. 28
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